Sliding roof for a vehicle

Abstract

 The invention relates to a sliding roof for a vehicle, comprising a panel (1), which in its forward position closes an opening (2) in the fixed roof (3) and which, upon operation of an actuating member, raises its rear edge (4) and is partly displaceable outside the roof opening (2) into positions above the fixed roof (3), the panel (1) being pivotable about a horizontal transverse shaft (8) and being supported near its front edge by at least one front support (9), which is movable backwardly and forwardly in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, backwardly of the (each) front support (9) the panel (1) pivotally engages a transverse pin (18) at the upper end of a lever (19), which is supported at its lower end and is pivotable about a horizontal transverse axis of rotation, whilst at the upper end of the lever (19) at least two further guide elements (18, 22) are formed, the transverse pin (18) being slidable in a slot (15) formed underneath the panel (1), the lever (19), upon displacement of the panel (1) from the forward position, reaching a position, which is defined by a stop, whereupon the transverse pin (18) passes the slot (15); and vice versa. According to the invention in any position of the panel

(1) at least one of the guide elements (18, 22) on the lever is in fitting engagement with a co-operating element carried by the panel (1).

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a sliding roof for a vehicle, comprising a panel, which in its forward position closes an opening in the fixed roof and which, upon operation of an actuating member, raises its rear edge and is partly displaceable outside the roof opening into positions above the fixed roof, the panel being pivotable about a horizontal transverse shaft and being supported near its front edge by at least one front support, which is movable backwardly and forwardly in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, backwardly of the (each) front support,the panel pivotally engages a transverse pin at the upper end of a lever, which is supported at its lower end and is pivotable about a horizontal transverse axis of rotation, whilst at the upper end of the lever at least two further guide elements are formed, the transverse pin being slidable in a slot formed underneath the panel, the lever upon displacement of the panel from the forward position, reaching a position, which is defined by a stop, whereupon the transverse pin passes the slot; and vice versa.

[0002] In a known embodiment of such a sliding roof the lever is provided with a guide slot and a guide pin in addition to the transverse pin, wherein during the pivoting movement of the lever the guide slot fittingly co-operates with a guide pin connected to the section, and when the transverse pin of the lever passes through the slot underneath the panel the guide pin of the lever engages in a guide section formed underneath the panel in order to prevent the panel, when in its fully or partly opened position from rattling under the influence of roughnesses of the road surface.

[0003] However, during the transition of these both engagements the lever is connected to the panel only by means of the transverse pin, whereby this connection at least in course of time will no longer be free from play, so that the panel in this position as yet may start rattling.

[0004] It is an object of the present inventiQJ to provide a sliding roof of the type mentioned hereinbefore, in which this disadvantage is removed in an efficient way.

[0005] For this purpose the sliding roof according to the invention is characterized in that any position of the panel at least one of the guide elements on the.lever is in fitting engagement with a co-operating element carried by the panel.

[0006] As a result of this permanent multiple engagement between the lever and the panel, a rattling of the panel under influence of roughnesses of the road surface is prevented.

[0007] The invention will hereinafter be elucidated with reference to the drawings, which show an embodiment of a sliding roof according to the invention by way of example.

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal section of an embodiment of the sliding roof according to the invention, wherein the panel is in the closed position.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section corresponding to fig. 1, wherein, however, the panel is shown in an intermediate position.

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section corresponding to fig. 1, wherein, however, the panel is in the rear end position.

Fig. 4 is a partial view of the sliding roof in the position of fig. 2, wherein parts are omitted in order to show underlying parts.

Fig. 5 is a section along the line V-V in fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the lever of the sliding roof of fig. 1.

Fig. 7 is a section along the line VII-VII in fig. 4.

Fig. 8 is a section corresponding to fig. 7, wherein, however, the panel is in the rear end position.

[0008] The drawings show an embodiment of a sliding roof for a vehicle by way of example, comprising a panel 1, which in its forward position closes an opening 2 in the fixed roof 3 and which, upon raising its rear edge 4, may be displaced backwardly into an oblique position partle outside the roof opening 2 into positions above the fixed roof 3.

[0009] To this end, in the first place an U-section 5 extending in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle is mounted on either side underneath the panel 1 in such way, that the legs 6 thereof extend downwardly.

[0010] In the embodiment shown in the drawing by way of example always only the U-section 5 disposed at one side of the vehicle, as well as the co-operating elements necessary for the adjustment of the panel 1 and described hereinafter are illustrated, wherein, however, it is to be understood that in general at the other side of the vehicle corresponding elements are used, which form the mirror image of the elements shown in the drawings.

[0011] The legs 6 of the U-section 5 are each provided with a hole 7 at their front ends, the holes 7 being in alignment with each other. A transverse pivot shaft 8 engages in the respective hole 7, each pivot shaft 8 being connected to a front support 9, which can be moved along a respective hollow guide rod 11 extending in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle and supported by a gutter-like depression of a mounting frame 10.

[0012] Each hollow guide rod 11 has a longitudinal slot, through which a lip 12 of the co-operating support 9 protrudes inwardly.

[0013] An actuating member (not shown) is rotatably mounted on the mounting frame 10 and, upon rotation, actuates a drive wheel, which engages two flexible push-pull cables 13. At either side of the vehicle one of the hollow guide rods 11 extends to the actuating member and guides one of the flexible push-pull means 13, which with its end engages the lip 12 of the respective front support 9.

[0014] The one leg 6 of the U-section 5 carries a plastics portion 14, in which a longitudinal slot 15 is formed, while on the other leg 6 a plastics portion 16 with a slot 17 is mounted. The slots 15 and 17 have different transverse sections, but extend parallel to each other, while they have the same reach in the forward and rearward direction (see fig. 4 and fig. 5).

[0015] A transverse pin 18 is slidably and rotatably accommodated in the slot 15, which transverse pin 18 is formed at the upper end of a lever 19, which at its lower end is freely pivotally supported by a support section 20 mounted in the gutter-like depression of the mounting frame 10. The axis of rotation of both levers 19 are in alignment with each other and extend horizontally in the transverse direction of the vehicle.

[0016] Each lever 19 comprises an enlarged head 21 at the end provided with the transverse pin 18, to which head 21 a guide cam 22 is formed at the other side then the transverse pin 18, wherein the guide cam 22 can co-operate with the slot 17 and can be fittingly accommodated therein. Each guide cam 22 is positioned on the side of the enlarged head 21 that is the front side in the rear position of the respective lever 19.

[0017] Furthermore, the lever 19 is provided with a protrusion 23 formed on the enlarged head 21, the protrusion 23 being substantially in alignment with the transverse pin 18 at the other side of the lever 19 and fittingly protruding in the slot 17.

[0018] The protrusion 23 has the configuration of a circular curved wall, which extends about an angle of at most 180°, wherein the inner side of the curved wall can fittingly engage a transverse retarding pin 24 fixed to the plastics part 16 near the rear side of the slot 17. The centre of curvature of the circular curved wall of the protrusion 23 lies on the centre line of the transverse pin 18 of the lever 19.

[0019] During the pivoting movement of the lever 19 the protrusion 23 rotates about the retarding pin 24 in the slot 17, wherein the retarding pin 24 is placed at such a distance from the rear wall of the slot 17, that during the rotation of the protrusion 23 about the retarding pin 24 the curved wall of the protrusion 23 is fittingly accommodated between the retarding pin 24 and the rear wall of the slot 1/.

[0020] A rearward displacement of the panel 1 from the front or closed position as shown in fig. 1 is obtained by rotating the actuating member in such sense that the flexible push-pull cable 13 moves the respective front support 9 in the rearward direction along the hollow guide rods 11.

[0021] During this displacement the transverse pin 18 remains in engagement with the rear end of the slot 15, because the protrusion 23 lies between the retarding pin 24 and the rear wall of the slot 17 and is therefore locked against a sliding movement, and the lever 19 pivots upwardly and thereupon beyond its vertical position downwardly again, while the protrusion 23 rotates about the retarding pin 24, and during the last part of the pivoting movement the guide cam 21 enters the slot 17 through an opening 25 at the lower side of the plastics portion 16.

[0022] The lever 19 is formed in such a way, that two portions 19' and 19" are obtained, which make an angle with respect to each other, the side of the lower portion 19' which forms the lower side of the lever 19 in the rearward position of the lever 19, serving as a stop 26, when it comes into engagement with the bottom of the section 20 (fig. 2).

[0023] Shortly before the end of the pivoting movement of the lever 19 the protrusion 23 lies at the front side of the retarding pin 24 and the lock against the sliding movement is raised. However, at this time the front side of the guide cam 22 has come into engagement with the front side of the opening 25 in the plastics portion 16 and in this way a lock against a sliding movement of the panel 1 is obtained until the end of the pivoting movement of the lever 19 (fig. 7).

[0024] When the front supports 9 are displaced further backwardly along the hollow guide rods 11 by means of the flexible push-pull cables 13 the transverse pin 18 will pass through the slot 15, while the guide cam 22 and the protrusion 23 are fittingly moved in the slot 17. After the guide cam 22 has reached the front end of the slot 17 no further backward displacement of the panel 1 is possible and therefore this panel 1 has reached its rear end position (fig. 3 and fig. 8).

[0025] In order to move the panel 1 forwardly again towards its closed position, the actuating member is rotated in the opposite sense, so that the flexible push-pull cable 13 pulls the respective front support 8 forwardly, whereby the transverse pin 18 passes through the slot 15, while the guide cam 22 and the protrusion 23 move through the slot 17, and theieupon the lever 19 is pivoted forwardly, because the protrusion 23 has come into engagement with the retarding pin 24 (fig. 4), and the guide cam 22 is guided through the opening 25 out of the slot 17 (fig. 7).

[0026] The closed position of the panel 1 is reached when the side of the lever portion 19", which in the forwardly inclined position of the lever 19 forms the upper side of this lever comes into engagement with the longitudinal ribs 27 formed near the upper side of the plastics portions 14, 15 respectively (fig. 1).

[0027] According to the invention on both sides of the panel 1 the transverse pin 18 is permanently in fitting engagement with the slot 15 and the protrusion 23 is permanently in fitting engagement with the slot 17, while in the rearward positions of the panel 1 (positions between those of fig. 2 and fig. 3) the guide cam 22 also co-operates fittingly with the slot 17, so that in any position of the panel 1, also near the,transition of the pivoting and sliding movement of the panel 1 a fixation of the panel 1 is obtained, which resists roughnesses of the road surface.

[0028] The invention is not restricted to the embodiment shown in the drawing by way of example, which can be varied in several ways within the scope of the invention.

Claims

1. Sliding roof for a vehicle, comprising a panel, which in its forward position closes an opening in the fixed roof and which, upon operation of an actuating member, raises its rear edge and is partly displaceable outside the roof opening into positions above the fixed roof, the panel being pivotable about a horizontal transverse shaft and being supported near its front edge by at least one front support, which is movable backwardly and forwardly in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, backwardly of the (each) front support the panel pivotally engages a transverse pin at the upper end of a lever, which is supported at its lower end and is pivotable about a horizontal transverse axis of rotation, whilst at the upper end of the lever at least two further guide elements are formed, the transverse pin being slidable in a slot formed underneath the panel, the lever, upon displacement of the panel from the forward position, reaching a position, which is defined by a stop, whereupon the transverse pin passes the slot; and vice versa,
characterized in that in any position of the panel at least one of the guide elements on the lever is in fitting engagement with a co-operating element carried by the panel.

2. Sliding roof according to claim 1, wherein on either side of the panel a section extending in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle is mounted to the lower side of the panel, in which sections the slots are formed, which co-operate with the transverse pins, whilst a guide cam is fixed at each lever as first guide element, the guide cam can be fittingly accommodated in and can co-operate with a second slot, which is formed in the respective profile and which extend in the longitudinal direction thereof parallel to the slot first mentioned, characterized in that the second guide element at the end of the lever is formed as a protrusion at the other side than the transverse pin but lying in the vicinity thereof, the protrusion permanently co-operating with the second slot, which extends in the backward direction at least as far as the first slot, and during the pivoting movement of the lever the protrusion is in engagement with a transverse retarding pin connected to the section and being in alignment with the transverse pin during the said pivoting movement.

3. Sliding roof according to claim 2,
characterized in that the protrusion consists of a circular curved wall extending about an angle of at most 180°, the inner side of this wall having the same curvature as the circumference of the co-operating retarding pin, and the centre of curvature of the circular curved wall lying on the centre line of the transverse pin.

4. Sliding roof according to claim 3,
characterized in that the retarding pin is positioned at such a distance from the rear wall of the guide slot, that during the pivoting movement of the lever the curved wall of the protrusion is fittingly accommodated between the retarding pin and the rear wall of the second slot.

5. Sliding roof according to claim 2, 3 or 4,
characterized in that the second slot comprises an inlet opening at its lower side at a distance from the rear wall, wherein the guide cam can be passed through this inlet opening, the front side of the inlet opening serving as a retarding means of the panel when the guide cam is led into the slot.

6. Sliding roof according to one of the claims 1 to 5,
characterized in that the section fixed on either side underneath the panel consists of an U-section, the legs thereof extending downwardly and each leg carrying a plastics section at its inner side, the slots mentioned hereinbefore being formed in this plastics sections.

7. Sliding roof according to claim 6,
characterized in that the plastics sections carried by each U-section have a longitudinal rib at their side facing each other, the rib lying above the respective slot and serving as a stop for the co-operating lever.

8. Sliding roof according to one of the claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the lever consists of two portions, which make an angle with respect to each other in a plane in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, and the lower portion serves as a stop for the lever.

Drawing